Ian does it again. I fell in love with this author on a whim looking for black authors who wrote crime thrillers. A librarian suggested him and I’ve been hooked since. The Overnights has become one of my favorite reads of 2023

This is the 3rd in Ian K. Smith's series starring PI Ashe Cayne (a former Chicago detective who often quotes Shakespeare).

His client this time is Morgan Shaw, 'the prime evening anchor at the city's top-rated WLTV', who is being threatened.

Morgan also worries about her position as the city's top news anchor, until she finds a blockbuster story to boost her ratings - an unarmed black man executed by an undercover police officer.

Ashe helps her investigation, but uncovers some disturbing information.

I couldn't finish this one. The MC, Ashe, is extremely unlikable. Like in every way you can think of!

First thanks #netgalley for an advanced copy of the book. This is my first fiction book by Dr. Ian K. Smith, as I have read most of his health-related books which have been great. I enjoyed P.I Ashe Cayne and this book has inspired me to go back to read the prior stories! Like Det. Cross in the James Patterson books, I can envision P.I Ashe Cayne stories coming to life on the small or big screen. This story deals with a topic all too familiar here in the United States, a black teen killed by a white police officer. The investigative reporter, Morgan Shaw believes that someone wants her dead due to her explosive investigation into this story and she turns to P.I Cayne for protection who turns her down but subsequently helps her after a series of unfortunate incidents. This one is an interesting story about TV ratings that also combines police violence against blacks. I enjoyed this book and looking forward to reading stories about P.I. Ashe Cayne. #theovernights #netgalley

Former Chicago police officer turned private investigator Ashe Cayne reluctantly agrees to protect top rated news anchor Morgan Shaw, who has been receiving death threats. Sweeps week is quickly approaching and she has to come up with something really good to ensure she wipes out the competition and stays on top. She unearths a case involving the questionable shooting of a black man and a suspicious accident of a witness. Considering Cayne left the force over his unwillingness to toe the company line in an unlawful killing, it takes very little convincing to get Cayne to use his police contacts to help her dig up more information.

I never understood why a private investigator would agree to work as a body guard, and the ending was a bit predictable, but the police misconduct part of this book was good. This is the third book in the series, and it can easily be read as a standalone, but the first two both contain darker subplots involving Cayne’s pursuit of justice that I found intriguing, and that wasn’t included in this one, so if you can get past the considerable golf references, it’s a series worth reading from the beginning and I look forward to the next installment.

Amistad via NetGalley kindly provided me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book by Ian K Smith that I have read. It started out just OK, nothing grabbed me;
there was a lot of background and characters being brought together for the story to really get
going. Then, all of a sudden, it just took off.
This is the first novel I have read with Police misconduct as part of the story. I must say, it was very
well done. By this I mean that a very serious subject was woven into a very complicated story and
the situations did not feel unrealistic to me. Not having any direct experience with Police, and not
being much of a news watching person, this book brought me on board with both current events
and the news business, and a bit about large city Police Departments.
When Top Rated News Anchor Morgan Shaw begins to receive death threats, she’s not taken seriously.
When Morgan is also facing the annual Sweeps week at her station, she needs to come up with something
really HOT- something to wipe out the rival station, to ensure her Diva ranking. Risking her life, and placing
others in danger brings this story onto front pages.
When she finally convinces former Police Detective and Ace PI Ashe Cayne of her problems,
he agrees to help her, and the story takes him into some very uncomfortable territory.and
in several very interesting directions.
To avoid even the hint of spoilers, I can only say that while Morgan did some great work and exposed a
serious set of problems, and survived, it wasn’t without personal cost.
This is a great story.and I now have to go back and read books 1 & 2 of the Ashe Cayne Series.
While I really enjoyed this book having not read books 1 & 2, and you will as well, I am going to go back
and read them just for background and character development. I recommend this book to everyone who
enjoys the Matt Coyle, “Rick Cahill” series. I look forward to the next installment.
My thanks to Amistad Publisher and NetGalley for providing this download copy in exchange for my honest review !

The Overnights by Ian K. Smith
Ashe Cayne a ex-cop, Chicago private investigator is hired to protect a local anchor woman that has been receiving threatening letters and has an ex-stalker recently out of jail. Additionally he uses his PI skills to research assist her in her reporting of a police shooting that is much more than it seems.

Entertaining story - read in one sitting. Although this is book 3 in the series I didn't feel lost in an unknown backstory. And a high compliment to an author, I will be seeking out Ian Smith's other Ashe Cayne books to read and with plan on following this series in the future.

Starred Review:

Ian k. Smiths now third novel featuring Ashe Cayne is a homerun. Old school detective novels that are now present day updates. Based in Chicago Cayne is asked to look into the threats to a huge mega late news anchor who is being threatened by a unknown person. Meanwhile Cayne is helping her with a police shooting to garner high TV news ratings.

The third Ashe Cayne novel. Please return to the debut and read all three. They are fantastic vintage crime noir. Highly recommended.